A painter of colourful, busy peopled scenes with the deceptively naïve style of L S Lowry, who became a friend and encouraged Stafford to paint while still a child. Born in 1956, in a small Cheshire town, Lowry became an inspiration to Stafford, and encouraged by this mentor, went on to study at Hyde College of Art. Having first exhibited his paintings as a child in his father’s greengrocers shop, by 1974 he was showing his work in London, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. In addition to painting, Stafford has also composed piano and orchestral works and former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the Queen of England have examples of his work in their private collections.